Ski boot having a stiffening sleeve

ABSTRACT

A stiffening sleeve for ski boots surrounds the top portion of the upper of the ski boot and is composed of two like sleeve portions, parts which are attached at the rear of the boot to an elongate holding part formed as a rib or rod extending upwardly along the upper from the heel portion of the boot. A device for adjusting the position of the stiffening sleeve on the upper of the boot connects the lower end of said holding part at the rear of the boot with both sides of the sole of the boot to permit an adjustment of the stiffening sleeve on the boot in lateral direction or in up and down direction to adapt the stiffening sleeve to various sizes of boots. The connection of the adjusting device with the sole of the boot is detachable so as to allow easy removal of the sleeve from the boot when the sleeve is not desired.

. 3,619,914 11/1971 Hansonetal.

United States Patent [191 Gertsch et a1.

[s41 SKI noo'r HAVING A s'rtmzumc SLEEVE [75] Inventors: Ernst Gertscli; Ulrich Gertlch, both of Bern, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Gertscll AG, lnterloken, Switzerland 221 Filed: Sept. 28, 1911 [211 App]. N0.: 184,364

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,543,421 2/ 1969 Adel .36/2.S AL 36/25 AL 51 May 29, 1973 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney-Eric H. Waters et al.

571 ABSTRACT A stiffening sleeve for ski boots surrounds the top portion of the upper of the ski boot and is composed of two like sleeve portions, parts which are attached at the rear of the boot to an elongate holding part formed as a rib or rod extending upwardly along the upper from the heel portion of the boot. A device for adjusting the position of the stiiTening sleeve on the upper of the boot connects the lower end "of said holding part at the rear of the boot with both sides of the sole of the boot to permit an adjustment of the stiffening sleeve on the boot in lateral direction or in up and down direction to adapt the stiffening sleeve to various sizes of boots. The connection of the adjusting device with the sole of the boot is detachable so as to allow easy removal of the sleeve from the boot when the sleeve is not desired.

1 1 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SKI BOOT HAVING A STIFFENING SLEEVE nevertheless allow a limited movement of the leg in a y direction longitudinally of the ski.

Until now such stiffening sleeves have been rigidly connected to the ski boot and were not readily detachable from the boot, so as to be able to wear the boot without the stiffening sleeve. Such prior art sleeves also cannot be adjusted laterally of the boot or in up and down direction relative to the boot upper, in order to have the possibility to adapt them to the foot or lower leg portion of the person using the skis and to his or her manner of skiing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ski boot with a stiffening sleeve surrounding the boot upper, and which is free of the drawbacks experienced until now with known types of ski boots having stiffening sleeves.

According to the present invention a ski boot having a sole is provided with a stiffening sleeve surrounding the boot upper. The stiffening sleeve comprises a sleeve body and a holding rib attached to the sleeve body to extend vertically of the ski boot upper at the rear thereof. Adjusting means cooperating with the stiffening sleeve are disposed on either side of the heel portion of the boot, said adjusting means having one end rotatably attached to-the lower end of said rear holding rib and the other end detachably engaged in the sole of the boot. The stiffening sleeve constructedaccording to the invention can be easily detached from the ski boot. thus allowing the boot to be worn without the stiffening sleeve, and permitting sleeves to be readily exchanged. The adjusting means allow a simple adjustment of the stiffening sleeve in lateral or vertical direction. on the ski boot, in order to adapt the sleeve to boots of different sizes.

The drawings illustrate by way of example two embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a ski boot provided with a stiffening sleeve according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 represents a ski boot with a modified holding arrangement of the stiffening sleeve.

In the illustration of FIG. 1 the stiffening sleeve 2 of the ski boot 1 comprises two side portions 2a which are attached to a rear holding part 3 in the form of an elongate rib or rod extending upwardly along the upper of the boot from the heel portion thereof. The two sides portions 2a surround the upper of the boot and are maintained at the front thereof by means of a buckle closure 4. At the bottom end of the rear holding rib 3 two adjustment pegs or bolts 5 are each rotatably engaged and held at one respective end thereof in the rib 3 on both sides of the boot. The peg 5 can be advantageously formed by a light-metal rod having a bent and threaded end portion engaged or screwed into a hole in the rib 5, so that it can readily rotate with respect to the rib. Each peg 5 has a screwthreaded opposed end 12 which screws into one end of an internally threaded sleeve 6. Into theother end of the sleeve 6 there is screwed a threaded portion 13 of one shank or end of an angle rod or bolt 7, the other shank or end thereof being screwed into a threaded bushing 14 inserted into a lateral hole or bore 100 of the sole of the boot.

The members 5, 6 and 7 together form an adjusting device or mechanism and it is to be understood that these same members are also provided on the other side of the boot to similarly connect the rib 3 to the sole also on the right side of the boot. By screwing the two angle rods 7 on both sides of the boot more or less into the bores 10a in the sole, the sleeve can be adjusted laterally on the boot, and by turning the threaded sleeve 6 the height of the sleeve 2 on the boot upper can be adjusted. The ski boot is provided at the rear with a slide fastener 8 which when opened, allows the foot to be introduced from the back into the boot. For opening the slide fastener 8, the buckle closure of the stiffening sleeve 2 is opened and the opened disconnected side portions of the sleeve can then be turned backwards and downwards with the rib 3 about the journal formed by the adjustment peg 5, so as not to interfere with putting on the boots. After having introduced the foot into the boot, the slide fastener 8 is closed and the sleeve side portions 2 with the rib 3 are turned up again and placed about the upper of the boot, whereafter the buckle 4 is closed. It will be appreciated, that the described stiffening sleeve results in a perfect lateral support of the foot also when the upper of the ski boot is made of relatively flexible and soft material. The sleeve 2 can also be easily and quickly removed, i.e., when the boot is not used for skiing.

The modification of FIG. 2 distinguishes from the embodiment of FIG. 1 by the fact that'the threaded sleeve 6 between the peg 5 and the angle rod 7 is replaced by a tension spring 9 which is provided at both ends with threaded collars l0 and 11, respectively, which are screwed to the threaded peg or bolt 5 and to the angle rod 7, respectively. The operation of this arrangement is the same as that for the ski boot according to FIG. 1, the tension spring being effective to act as a shock absorber for dampening shocks acting in a direction longitudinally of the ski, which is important when the stiffening sleeve extends relatively high above the ankle of the foot.

The two sleeve portions 2a preferably consist of leather or also of plastic. The holding part or rib 2 may consist of light metal and the peg or bolt 5 may be screwed into a threaded hole therein, or the rib may also consist of plastic with a threaded bushing inserted therein for rotatably receiving a bent and threaded end of the peg 5.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced withint the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,

We claim:

I. In combination with a ski boot having a sole, an upper, including an ankle inclosing portion, and a heel portion, a stiffening sleeve surrounding at least part of the ankle inclosing portion, said stiffening sleeve including a sleeve body and a rear holding member carried by such sleeve body, said rear holding member extending substantially vertically of the ski boot upper at the rear thereof, and adjustment means cooperating with said stiffening sleeve for adjusting the position thereof relative to the ski boot.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rear holding member constitutes a rib member attached to the sleeve body.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means incorporates mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot and mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means incorporates an adjustment mechanism at each side of the heel portion of the boot, each said adjustment mechanism having opposed end portions, one of the end portions of each adjustment mechanism being rotatably secured to a lower end region of the rear holding member and the other end portion of each adjustment mechanism being detachably secured to the sole of the ski boot.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the sole of the ski boot is provided to each lateral side of the heel portion with a respective bore for receiving said other opposed end portion of the associated adjustment mechanism.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5, wherein each adjustment mechanism includes a threaded sleeve having opposed ends, an adjustment peg having opposed ends, one end of the adjustment peg being connected with said rear holding member and the other end of said adjustment peg having threading for threadably attaching same to one end of the threaded sleeve, an angle rod having opposed ends, one end of the angle rod being provided with threading and threadably secured to the other end of said threaded sleeve, the other end of said angle rod being received in one of said bores at the sole of the ski boot.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said threaded sleeve and adjustment peg cooperate with said rear holding member to permit adjustment of the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot, and wherein said angle rod includes means for adjustably positioning same in the associated bore at the sole of the boot for adjusting the stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot.

8. The combination as defined in claim 7, wherein the threaded sleeve and adjusting peg of said adjustment mechanisms permit vertical adjustment of the stiffening sleeve independently of the lateral adjustment thereof afforded by the angle rod cooperating with the associated bore at the sole of the ski boot of such adjustment mechanisms.

9. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means includes a coiled tension spring having opposed ends, a respective collar for engaging a respective end of said coiled tension spring, an adjustment peg having opposed ends, one of the ends of the adjustment peg being connected with one of the collars and the other end thereof being connected with said rear holding member, an angle rod having opposed ends, one of the ends of the angle rod being connected with the other of said collars and the other end of said angle rod being secured to the sole of the ski boot.

10. The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein the ski boot is provided with a bore for rotatably receiving said other end of said angle rod.

11. In combination with a ski boot having an upper, a separate stiffening sleeve surrounding at least part of the upper, said stiffening sleeve including a sleeve body and a rear holding member carried by such sleeve body, said rear holding member extending elevationally with respect to the ski boot upper, and adjustment means cooperating with said separate stiffening sleeve for adjusting the position thereof relative to the ski boot, said adjustment means incorporating mechanism for adjusting the separate stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot and mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot.

i i t 

1. In combination with a ski boot having a sole, an upper, including an ankle inclosing portion, and a heel portion, a stiffening sleeve surrounding at least part of the ankle inclosing portion, said stiffening sleeve including a sleeve body and a rear holding member carried by such sleeve body, said rear holding member extending substantially vertically of the ski boot upper at the rear thereof, and adjustment means cooperating with said stIffening sleeve for adjusting the position thereof relative to the ski boot.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rear holding member constitutes a rib member attached to the sleeve body.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means incorporates mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot and mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means incorporates an adjustment mechanism at each side of the heel portion of the boot, each said adjustment mechanism having opposed end portions, one of the end portions of each adjustment mechanism being rotatably secured to a lower end region of the rear holding member and the other end portion of each adjustment mechanism being detachably secured to the sole of the ski boot.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the sole of the ski boot is provided to each lateral side of the heel portion with a respective bore for receiving said other opposed end portion of the associated adjustment mechanism.
 6. The combination as defined in claim 5, wherein each adjustment mechanism includes a threaded sleeve having opposed ends, an adjustment peg having opposed ends, one end of the adjustment peg being connected with said rear holding member and the other end of said adjustment peg having threading for threadably attaching same to one end of the threaded sleeve, an angle rod having opposed ends, one end of the angle rod being provided with threading and threadably secured to the other end of said threaded sleeve, the other end of said angle rod being received in one of said bores at the sole of the ski boot.
 7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said threaded sleeve and adjustment peg cooperate with said rear holding member to permit adjustment of the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot, and wherein said angle rod includes means for adjustably positioning same in the associated bore at the sole of the boot for adjusting the stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot.
 8. The combination as defined in claim 7, wherein the threaded sleeve and adjusting peg of said adjustment mechanisms permit vertical adjustment of the stiffening sleeve independently of the lateral adjustment thereof afforded by the angle rod cooperating with the associated bore at the sole of the ski boot of such adjustment mechanisms.
 9. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means includes a coiled tension spring having opposed ends, a respective collar for engaging a respective end of said coiled tension spring, an adjustment peg having opposed ends, one of the ends of the adjustment peg being connected with one of the collars and the other end thereof being connected with said rear holding member, an angle rod having opposed ends, one of the ends of the angle rod being connected with the other of said collars and the other end of said angle rod being secured to the sole of the ski boot.
 10. The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein the ski boot is provided with a bore for rotatably receiving said other end of said angle rod.
 11. In combination with a ski boot having an upper, a separate stiffening sleeve surrounding at least part of the upper, said stiffening sleeve including a sleeve body and a rear holding member carried by such sleeve body, said rear holding member extending elevationally with respect to the ski boot upper, and adjustment means cooperating with said separate stiffening sleeve for adjusting the position thereof relative to the ski boot, said adjustment means incorporating mechanism for adjusting the separate stiffening sleeve laterally of the ski boot and mechanism for adjusting the stiffening sleeve elevationally of the ski boot. 